Steven Latimer

What is Creigh Deeds Thinking?

2010-10-31T09:10:00.003-04:00

I live in the city of Charlottesville, where I am represented by Democrat Creigh Deeds in the Virginia State Senate. I signed up to be on the failed 2009 gubernatorial candidate's email list a few months ago, and today, found an email in my inbox titled, "48 Hours." Clearly, as election day is only two days away, Deeds must be trying to futilely persuade me to vote for Barack Obama's favorite congressman, Tom Perriello.

Wrong. (I hyperlinked the link above, and also did a screen shot. See below.)

Deeds is actually writing to ask me to volunteer or vote for Glenn Nye, even though I have never lived in the Second Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Shore, Virginia Beach, and parts of Norfolk and Hampton.

What's furthermore curious is that my State Senator concludes by asking me to help move Northern Virginia forward. Fairfax County is a full three hours from Hampton Roads along interstates 64 and 95.

Finally, Deeds dated his email September 8th, 2010, a full month and a half ago. This is indeed a strange email. Did he and his people not have the time to proofread?

To Cook or Not to Cook

2010-05-19T14:57:00.002-04:00

I just watched a half-hour flashy infomercial for the Bullet Express, a $120 do-all, be-all kitchen appliance which aims to take a lot of the work out of cooking big meals. The infomercial shows actors preparing meals in 60 seconds or less using this contraption.

Now, I am not much of a cook. Most of what I eat is either from a TV dinner box or similar, or from a fast food or quick service restaurant. But when I do cook something for myself or for friends and family, I am proud of my effort. It is the product of my labor.

In my opinion, the Bullet Express is cool, but it takes much of the creativity and rewarding labor out of preparing a meal from scratch. I wouldn't want to use it. It would be like me cheating when creating a meal.

Virginia is For (Liquor) Lovers!: Gov. Bob McDonnell makes the case to privatize booze sales

2010-01-27T11:15:00.001-05:00

Parasailin' with Sarah Palin

2009-12-12T16:03:00.001-05:00

Toffee For Your Coffee

2009-10-19T19:18:00.001-04:00

This is a heartwarming video from Dunkin Donuts. It's about the man, Jeff Hager, who created a donut for DD as part of a contest. I think he looks a little like Todd Palin. But that's neither her nor there. What matters is that he's an everyman, like you or me.

Taking the Time to Remember Tony Snow

2009-07-12T20:48:00.002-04:00

Today is a day of reflection for many: and a day to look back. One year ago today we lost Tony Snow. Snow was the affable White House Press Secretary from 2006 to 2007, serving a little over a year until he retired due to poor health (and because he could make more money in the private sector: his gig in the White House paid only 180,000 or so dollars annually -- a drop in the bucket compared to what he earned when he worked in media.)

While I pride myself as a person who is knowledgeable on all current events, I readily admit I probably would've passed over the anniversary of Snow's death (it was cancer; he was only 53) had I not tuned into FOX News this morning. Snow, who used to work at FOX, was being remembered fondly by his former Fox News Sunday coworkers in between news stories.

Before I divulge more, I want to say that I still - and perhaps always will - remember when and where I was when I learned of Snow's death: interestingly enough, I was on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where I was attending the Ron Paul Revolution March, which I blogged about a year ago. (summary here, videos here)

I met up on the Hill with my friends from VCU and my good friend and freedom-lover Conor Murphy, a huge fan and devotee of Snow, broke the news to me. I knew Snow was in poor health, but I was taken aback to learn of his death from Conor.

Robert Dougherty, a contributor at Associated Content, writes a great article on Snow, FOX News, and his role he played as press secretary.

I think Snow will be remembered for years to come, especially in a time in which people think press secretaries are so important. (Who doesn't know who Robert Gibbs is?)

Snow had the pizazz, story, and attractive flair that Ari Fleisher and Scott McClellan did not.

Rest in peace, Tony Snow.

Celebrity Deaths Coming in Spurts

2009-06-28T17:48:00.002-04:00

It seems like every now and then a bunch of celebrities drop dead in a very condensed time frame. One must be living under a rock to not know that Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays have died within just three days of one another.

This reminds me of a time last summer in 2008, when Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes, and George Furth died on August 9th, 10th, and 11th, respectively. Their deaths were preceded by household names like Tim Russert, George Carlin, and Tony Snow who died in June and July.

So I surmise that celebrity deaths must be coming in spurts, or something.

Chesapeake Tea Party

2009-06-27T16:22:00.002-04:00

Regrettably, I was not able to attend yesterday's TEA (Taxed Enougth Already) Party down in Chesapeake, Virginia, but I see someone has written a synopsis of the event, with photos, here. I was busy turning 22 and the friend I was going to go with was out of town that week, anyhow.

Laugh of the Day

2009-06-10T11:23:00.002-04:00

This takes the cake (original story here). A hat tip to Matt Gagnon for posting this to his Twitter.

A Few Thoughts on Deeds' Win

2009-06-10T11:04:00.002-04:00

Last night Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) won the Democratic nomination for Governor of Virginia. He will face Bob McDonnell in November. A few thoughts are in order.

I realize Deeds won his primary with about 50% of the vote in a three-way contest, which is mighty impressive. But I do not understand how he won. I know of no one who voted for Deeds, or said they would (perhaps there were some closeted Deeds supporters who can now come out of the woodwork?) I mean, I knew he could win, but I didn't think he could do it. I know of at least 4 people who definitely voted in the primary, and I'm pretty sure they voted for either Moran or McAuliffe.

Deeds has a reputation as a conservative, which makes this all the more interesting. But when he claimed victory last night at his party in Charlottesville, he sounded much more like a bitter liberal. Deeds said something along the lines of, "I will continue the Mark Warner-Tim Kaine legacy, while Bob McDonnell will take us back to the years of George W. Bush, blah, blah, blah ..."

There are more than a few problems with this. First of all, Bush is not the president anymore. He has been out of the Oval Office for several months now. It is not the 2008 campaign anymore. It's 2009. Secondly, it is not a good idea to compare yourself to Warner and Kaine. Deeds, too, quenches for taxation, and the voters are weary of liberals who campaign as conservatives and take up taxes like leftists. The Republican Party of Virginia has already issued a blistering press release assailing the ticket. (here)

Save his admirable position on guns, and in general being a good-ol' country boy from Bath County, Deeds showed little to admire last night.

Even if he were a real conservative, there would be little sense in conservatives voting for him (Deeds) in November: Bob McDonnell has had his party's nomination longer than Deeds has, and there would be little sense in swapping horses midstream.

2009 Peninsula Victory Headquarters Grand Opening

2009-06-07T16:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday morning, I attended the grand opening celebration of one of the Republican Party of Virginia's field offices. This one is in Newport News and is one of 14 statewide "victory offices" that will be open until November. Such offices serve the task of helping elect the statewide ticket (McDonnell, Bolling, Cuccinelli). Eventually some type of phonebanking system will go here. I made some new friends and also went door-to-door afterward, which was an adventure.

Rob Wittman, Ken Cuccinelli, Tommy Norment, Brenda Pogge, Glenn Oder, Phil Hamilton, and Pat Woodbury were the special guests.

Pictures that I took can be found here.

Rainbow Spotting

2009-04-21T22:58:00.002-04:00

This was spotted just west of Boulevard in Richmond tonight at about 7:30pm.
................
.

CNN Should Terminate Susan Roesgen

2009-04-16T21:56:00.001-04:00

This isn't even news reporting. Journalists are supposed to report on what is going on, not engage in spin. Besides, there are people for that. (That's basic journalism ethics.) Roesgen does not represent the best CNN has to offer.

Hard Laughs

2009-04-14T22:25:00.003-04:00

I haven't laughed this hard in months, if not years! I'm not sure if these videos were intended to improve worker safety, or to make us laugh.

Notwithstanding, I'd never want to work in a factory.

See here and here.

(h/t one of my followers on Twitter, Matthew Gagnon)

POSTSCRIPT: Let me amend my comments. All the blood is fake. It just goes to underscore the importance of safety, which is not a light-hearted matter. The second video is funnier than the first.

A Post Election Wrap-Up

2009-03-27T13:11:00.004-04:00

Now that the dust is beginning to settle, I observe that VCU SGA Watch has a fair and balanced write-up of this week's campus election results (see "Walker Crowned King of SGA" here). Results at the local level can be just as crucial as results of a national level election, considering the impact it has on people's lives.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out who is the author of this aforementioned blog, or if I would even like this person.

Since most people think in terms of percentages, not vote totals, the percentages are as follows:

46% Walker
25% Lynch
18% Ronk
10% Robinson

74% Yes Constitution
26% No Constitution

We Need Joshua Ronk as VCU Student Body President

2009-03-24T23:06:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama made history when he took the oath of office. And later this summer, Michael Rao will become the new president of our beloved VCU when he comes here in July from Central Michigan University.

In these times of change, one thing has become clear to me: we need Joshua Ronk as our next Student Body President!

Having seen Joshua and his all-star teammates Josie Mace and Jenny You in action over the years, I can faithfully attest to his ticket’s maturity and intellect.

It’s vitally important to the future and effectiveness of our Student Government Association that we elect this Ronk-Mace-You ticket. And since voting ends at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, I know that Joshua needs all the help he can get!

Whether it is fighting for enhanced transparency in financial matters, better engagement of socially active students like you, or advocating the passage of a new and improved SGA Constitution that will annually cut $10,000 in unnecessary government waste, I know we can count on Joshua Ronk, Josie Mace, and Jenny You to get the job done. Joshua supports a smaller, better, more efficient SGA that will have a positive impact on people’s lives.

So, let’s rev up our common sense, creative engines and elect Joshua Ronk as our Student Body President for next school year! Joshua has included a link to the ballot at his webpage, www.studentsforaction.com

Sincerely,

Steven C. Latimer

The ABC's of Virginia Alcohol Law

2009-03-23T16:30:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine, JMU grad Jarrett Ray tweeted about this YouTube video someone made. Because it's so relevant, I'm posting it here.

Jarrett, incidentally, is a former chairman of the College Republican Federation of Virginia and currently works as a field staffer for the Virginia GOP.

Technically, there is one error in this video: there are no bars in Virginia, only restaurants that serve alcohol. It is illegal in Virginia to operate a business that serves only alcohol. This ought to change, too.

Very Funny - Rush Questions the Teleprompter

2009-03-21T21:51:00.001-04:00

Let it Snow!

2009-03-02T10:17:00.002-05:00

I called my mom on the phone and told her "greetings from Alaska." You now understand why. Here are scenes from Richmond, Virginia.

My Neon, blanketed in snow. Thankfully, I really don't need to drive anywhere today.

RPV Day Notes - Part 2

2009-02-20T17:49:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about the first ever RPV Day. What follows is a continuation of that.

State Senator Steve Martin spoke, followed by Dels. Bill Janis, and Morgan Griffith. Janis was definitely the best (and most captivating) speaker on the RPV Day lineup, while I learned the most from Del. Griffith, the House Majority Leader.

This was the first time I've ever heard Griffith give a speech. I've heard Martin and Janis plenty of times. Steve Martin addressed issues relating to voter fraud, and defended statutes making it necessary to show identification in order to vote. Martin stated that long ago when communities were smaller and more people lived in less urbanized areas, election officers (poll workers) were people who knew their communities and its denizens very well. Because of this, it was easy to identify those who were trying to create election fraud. Because our society has grown, it's gotten tougher to stop fraud. I had not thought of this before, and so found Steve Martin's discussion both interesting and salient.

The oft animated Janis went next. He told the story of Murphy the Irishman, who while walking home from the pub one day had a knife pulled on him and placed near his neck. Murphy was asked, "Are ye a Catholic or Protestant?" Murphy, knowing that given either answer he would be badly wounded, decided to say he's a Jew. Because, after all, the man who pulled the knife likely hates either Catholics, or Protestants -- but not both. Murphy considered this a safe pick. But Murphy got cut because the knife-wielding rouge was Muslim (and presumably didn't care for Catholics, Protestants, or Jews!)

Janis concluded his story by revealing its moral: It's better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for who you aren't.

Griffith rounded out the speakers. He said that other than the smoking ban the budget, there really haven't been too many front page issues this year coming out the General Assembly. Griffith acknowledged the lopsided support for the smoking ban among the public, and revealed that the press frequently portrays the Republicans as the party of "no" and that some Republicans in the leadership pushed through the smoking ban to refute this stereotype, and also because some Republicans in urban areas need to "look good." Apparently restricting people's individual liberty and property rights is "in." Whether or not it'll help, it's bad policy. Hrumpf!

Griffith took note of a curiosity in the House of Delegates: Dels. Gear, Griffith, and Gilbert (all R)frequently cancel out the votes of Dels. Eisenberg, Ebbin, and Englin (all D), and vice-versa.

Griffith lamented over Kaine's lack of expediency in releasing 3 billion dollars in bond money for new roads -- a project Republicans enacted in 2007. Griffith predicts that Kaine won't release any bond money until after the November elections, as a sly and intellectually dishonest way to make it look like transportation is bad due to Republican leadership.

Griffith concluded that we've got to get back to the notion of common people running for office who are willing to carry their party's banner (even if it's a sure loss) and we seem to have lost that spirit. He said this goes especially for anyone involved in insurance, law, or real estate as this is a way for young professionals to get their name out to the community, if nothing else.

Notes on This Year's RPV Day - Part 1

2009-02-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

Today marked the first ever Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) Day, which was held on Capitol Square in Richmond.

Just as a bevvy of non-profit and advocacy organizations hold lobby days year in and year out, RPV decided to have one for the first time this year. A lobby day allows members of a statewide organization to meet with their legislators at their Richmond offices when the General Assembly is in session, and furthermore provides a social opportunity for members to get together at a roughly central location to enjoy camaraderie and to fellowship. (For me, today had more a social purpose, as I can head down to Capitol Square every day of the week, if I wanted to.)

Technically, RPV Day in its entirety was held from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., however due to my academic obligations I had to duck out at about noon. I took pictures, and even got a photograph with Jeff Frederick, the party chair. The photographs in their entirety can be viewed at this public link, here. What follows is notes. The following is not the day in its entirety.

I rolled out of bed at an earlier than usual 6:30 a.m. so I could bathe and get dressed. I then went to my 8 o'clock World Regional Geography class, then took the bus down to Capitol Square. I checked in with the RPV staff handling and received a folder containing the contents needed for the day. As I went inside the meeting room I saw a mix of people, taking into account the span of Republicans who came out for RPV Day. The attendees differed in race, and age, with most conventional categories represented.

I barely had enough time to eat my bagel -- let alone, sit down -- when RPV Executive Director Allison Coccia got the party started when she introduced a special surprise guest, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. (Outgoing Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell spoke later. Technically you'd expect both of these gentlemen would have been given prime speaking spots well in advance, but they weren't listed on the docket. Hence the surprise.)

Bolling set the stage. He spoke about the "787 billion pieces of manna" raining down from the heavens -- a sarcastic reference to the recent "stimulus package" of Obama's -- a package Bolling termed a "spendulus" for "ongoing government programs." Bolling spoke of how he opposes it, but is cognizant that 4.5 billion dollars are destined for Virginia anyway, and demands that these dollars be spent responsibly. Bolling also stressed that this is "one-time money" whose delivery must be taken by September 30, 2010 and that the incoming federal funds can give the General Assembly an "intoxicating illusion."

Bolling then fired a penultimate salvo: he lamented over Gov. Kaine's confiscatory policy, noting that the administration has "habitually missed the revenue estimates" year in and year out, thus creating the need to decimate the Rainy Day Fund.

Bolling concluded by saying that Virginians don't really care if something (e.g., an idea) has a D or an R next to it; they simply wonder if it is good government that will have a positive impact on people's lives. Bolling noted that George Allen did not become Governor in 1993 by dandying about the state telling people he had ideas that were Republican; rather, Allen advocated his own agenda that just happened to resonate with people. I found this was a reoccuring theme of RPV Day.

(Part 2 coming tomorrow)

Brownlee's Foray into New Media

2009-02-16T21:07:00.002-05:00

Earlier today I received a Facebook message from Patrick Murphrey with the John Brownlee for Attorney General campaign to inform me of candidate John Brownlee's foray into new media.

Brownlee is seeking the Republican Party of Virginia's nomination for Attorney General of Virginia. Also seeking the GOP nod are Dave Foster and Ken Cuccinelli.

Right off the bat, let me say that I generally support the death penalty, even though as a Roman Catholic and faithful citizen, I realize that I should oppose it. Either way, it's not my top issue.

One of Brownlee's more odious pieces is a video, "John Brownlee Discusses Virginia's Triggerman Rule", which has been uploaded into his YouTube channel. In this video, Brownlee speaks to an audience -- perhaps at a campaign breakfast, Rotary Club meeting, etc., about the "triggerman rule" -- a rule that judging from a Google search is Virginia-centric, if not Virginia-specific.

Thrice describing the triggerman rule as "anti-justice" in his video, Brownlee says:

We have a rule in Virginia, it's called the triggerman rule, and it is an anti-justice rule. It's an anti-justice rule. And what it means is that only the person who literally pulls the trigger or plunges in the knife can be subjected to capital punishment in Virginia.

Brownlee then goes on to bemoan a situation by which an accomplice to a murderer couldn't receive the death penalty in Virginia because he isn't the "triggerman" (hence the term). Presumably, the accomplice should be able to receive the death penalty, too, because he was every bit as intent on killing as the triggerman, argues Brownlee.

In my judgement, Brownlee's argument makes little to no sense. Accomplices aren't murderers because they didn't do the tangible killing. So they shouldn't receive the death penalty. This is why there are lengthy prison sentences.

Brownlee points out that the triggerman rule made is difficult to convict (and sentence to death) John Allen Muhammad of the Beltway shootings. But by Brownlee's own admission, Muhammad was successfully convicted and sentenced to death due to terrorism statutes. This makes it sound like the triggerman rule was not an impediment for the prosecution, as other statutes exist.

Maybe this is just a difference of opinion. I can't exactly lay my finger on it, but with all due respect to John Brownlee, I feel there's something about this guy that's just not right.

Sabrina, The Teenage Mother

2009-02-11T08:09:00.001-05:00

ROFL

Twittering

2009-02-11T02:04:00.002-05:00

That's right, you can now follow me on Twitter!

Jeff Frederick's Pending Announcement

2009-02-10T06:40:00.003-05:00

This week, state delegate and Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick (R-52) -- and perhaps his wife Amy, too -- will make a major announcement. Jeff is asking that those who want to be the first to know sign up for emails at his website, www.va52.com.

Who's willing to bet Jeff will announce that he has decided to split into two via mitosis in order to serve as party chairman and Delegate?

Conservative Virginia GOP Leaders Stand on Principle: Oppose Smoking Ban

2009-02-09T16:18:00.003-05:00

It is often pondered by people what makes conservatives a different breed: they stand on principle.

I just received a fiery email this afternoon from Mike Wade, the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia's 3rd Congressional District organization. Wade, of Hampton, and fifteen other conservative leaders in the Virginia GOP have signed onto a memo to all Republican members of the Virginia General Assembly.

Titled, "HB 1703 is Antithetical To Our Party Principles", as I started reading through it I was amazed at the clarity of thought and exposition. I am reposting it below, followed by commentary.

2/09/09

To Our Republican Members of the General Assembly,

As members of the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia, we wish to remind you of the following core tenet of our Party’s creed: We Believe: That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice. We write to remind you of this key element of our Republican Creed because we understand that HB 1703 is moving on a fast track to a vote on Tuesday, and as our duly elected Representatives we urge you to vote NO. The passage of such legislation is completely antithetical to our Party’s core free market principles. This not about smoking. This is about unnecessary government intrusion into the private sector. This unconscionable encroachment will cost those affected their ability to operate a free enterprise and further alienate our Republican base.

Because the proponents of the smoking ban cite huge public support for this type of legislation, we understand one’s inclination to support it. But you will find the owners and patrons of smoking establishments will disagree. This legislation will make it difficult,if not impossible, for many small businesses to operate in Virginia.As you must know, bar or restaurant owners will be forced to make expensive renovations to meet the requirements of HB 1703 in order to offer their patrons a choice. This is another unfunded mandate that will cut into businesses’ profits. How will you explain the loss of revenues from successful businesses that fail from their loss of smoking patrons? Who will enforce this legislation? Where will the money be found to add the needed bureaucracy? In a struggling economy, to increase government enforcement and decrease revenue is completely flawed logic, particularly in an election year.

Consumers already have the ability to decide if they wish to frequent an establishment based upon whether that establishment does or does not allow smoking. We urge you to allow the marketplace to influence private sector activity instead of relying upon heavy-handed, intrusive government regulation. As members of the General Assembly, we believe you should be particularly concerned about passing this bill in an election year. Supporting HB 1703 will discourage and demoralize the Republican base and confuse those that view us as the Party of free market principles. Our Gubernatorial nominee understands our principles and position in regard to the smoking ban, and we believe you should take heed of his position. Every member should reconsider their support of this bill, and we are proud of all members who have already voted no. To allow this legislation to pass will compromise the integrity of members who have stayed true to Republican principles and faithfully worked against this legislation.

As a Party we do not need to create a divide between members and the Republican base by supporting legislation that is inconsistent with our Party’s core principles. It is our greatest hope that this legislation will be voted down as to avoid intra-party conflict. Our goal is a Republican Party united on principles and vision, standing ready to win in 2009.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Fredrick [sic], RPV Chairman

Mike Thomas, 1st Vice- Chair

Kathy Hayden Terry, National Commiteewoman

Kevin Gentry, Eastern Vice Chairman

Juanita Balenger, Eastern Vice Chairwoman

Trixie Averill, Western Vice Chairwoman

Tom Foley, 1st District Chairman

Gary Byler, 2nd District Chairman

Mike Wade, 3rd District Chairman

Jack Wilson, 4th District Chairman

Tucker Watson, 5th District Chairman

Fred Anderson, 6th District Chairman

Lynwood Cobb, 7th District Chairman

Mike Ginsberg, 8th District Chairman

Michelle Jenkins, 9th District Chairman

Becky Steckel, 11th District Chairman

Major kudos go out to Chairman Jeff Frederick (whose name appears to have been misspelled in the letter) and his fifteen co-signers. It is nice to see the state party's upper brass remind its officeholders in the statehouse that intrusions in the marketplace are unconservative, unRepublican, and that House Bill 1703 cannot stand.

I felt the exact same way in 2007 (an election year) when the (then) Republican-majority General Assembly pushed through the regrettable HB 3202. Not enough can be said about how bad this bill was. It was unconservative, done in an election year, and on the aggregate hurt the Republican members in November.

It's now 5:15pm at the time of me writing this, and since offices are closed, I'm waiting till early tomorrow to call my delegate Glenn Oder (R-94, Newport News) to tell him that this cannot stand.

John Updike Dies

2009-01-27T23:21:00.002-05:00

Today, the great American poet -- among other things -- John Updike died of lung cancer at age 76.

I'm sure he was a great poet, as evidenced by his name being a household commodity among the literary literate. But it's unfortunate that the only memory I have of studying Updike in the schools was when in Dave Lilley's IB English class at Warwick High School we couldn't help but snicker at the name "Updike" when we were analyzing one of his poems. I wonder if Mr. Lilley had thought his students might act inappropriately at the name before he selected Updike's work.

We were teenage boys. It's exusable.

Updike.

Thank You, President Bush!

2009-01-19T22:18:00.002-05:00

Thanks are due to George W. Bush for commuting the sentences of former US Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean. The president's commutation occured earlier today.

While the commutation is welcome, and long overdue, it should not overshadow President Bush's well-meant, yet misguided immigration policy. Bush did the just, compassionate thing today, but why the wait?

Said former Congressman Duncan Hunter at the 15 May 2007 Republican Party presidential debate in Columbia, South Carolina (seems so long ago):

I wrote the bill that the president signed in October that takes the San Diego fence 854 miles across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and it's mandatory. I called up the other day, and they've done two miles of border fence.

This administration has a case of the slows on border enforcement. If we have border enforcement, we will be able at that point to start to regulate the internal problem that we've got. Because as long as you've got a revolving door and you have no border -- and this 2,000-mile porous border, incidentally, is our biggest homeland security problem; it's not just an immigration problem, it's a homeland security problem -- we need to build the border fence. We need to have a Border Patrol which is big enough to get the job done, and we need to be able to ask people when they want to come into America, knock on the front door, because the back door is going to be closed.

Hunter's words ring true today.

A Prediction Run Afoul (Sort Of)

2009-01-11T21:14:00.003-05:00

Back in September 2008 I predicted that the San Diego Chargers would be the winners of Super Bowl XLIII. It wasn't meant to be. Today, the Chargers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and thus have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs. Therefore, it is impossible for San Diego to be the winners of Super Bowl XLIII. Furthermore, Seattle won't be in the Super Bowl, either: they didn't even make the playoffs.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

2009-01-11T20:40:00.002-05:00

Or in the beholder's eye.

Depending how you "look" at it. Pun intended! Anyhoo, my friend (and one-time political mentor) Tyler Bass posted an AP news story to his Facebook profile about a Texas death row inmate who has eaten his only good eye.

When I initially read the headline, I had to do a double take. This is the sort of stuff you would expect to read about in The Onion.

Let me conclude by saying that I dare not ask what this incarcerated gent had for dessert!

Coming Full Circle

2008-12-23T20:51:00.002-05:00

I just finished watching the animated television version of Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on WVEC-TV 13.

No need for any major philosophical treatises here, but it's truly amazing how people can come full circle like that.

The Folly of NBC12

2008-12-17T22:40:00.004-05:00

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Three of the most familiar on-air faces at WWBT-Channel 12 have been laid off.

Long-time sports director Ben Hamlin, anchor Gene Lepley and Henrico and Hanover County reporter Rob Richardson are among the seven employees from several departments whose jobs were eliminated today.

This is not just surprising. As a loyal watcher of NBC12, I find this is unacceptable. Why would Richmond's market leader (see here) axe some of its most likable upper echelon talents, some of whom are arguably Richmond institutions?

Expect a loss in viewership, here.

Seasons Greetings!

2008-12-16T14:46:00.006-05:00

I convey unto you best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! -- Steven Latimer

Incompetent Boobs

2008-12-07T01:41:00.002-05:00

Anh "Joseph" Cao must be doing backflips right now. Yesterday (in a runoff election) he defeated incumbent Democratic Congressman William Jefferson, who has been indicted on bribery and money laundering charges, in addition to misusing his congressional office.

This harkens back to John Taylor's (of Tertium Quids, not of Caroline) point - and begs the question: Remember the good ol' days when members of Congress might have been incompetent boobs, but were at least able to finish their terms in the People's House rather than the Big House?

THE FACEBOOK BLACKOUT

2008-12-06T16:04:00.005-05:00

I'm happy to announce that I will partaking in the Facebook Blackout, slated for all day December 15, 2008. This voluntary "blackout" is a grassroots movement of Facebook users who have agreed to abstain from using Facebook in any way on December 15 as a way to express their collective frustration at Facebook's administrators.

Earlier this year, Facebook made significant changes to the overall look of Facebook. This change was very unpopular with Facebook users, who overwhelmingly opposed it. For example, on July 27, Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN) student Scott Sanders created the Facebook group "Petition Against the 'New' Facebook", whose membership now boasts a mighty 1.6 million users.

At present, those who have RSVPed in the affirmative to the Facebook Blackout total just over 975,000 users, and could very well top one million. In the group description, its creator, French resident Boris Kelevra writes in very choppy English:

What will happen if we all decide not to login on facebook for 1 day ! Don't you adminstrator remember that we are the one using facebook ?? On December 15th, if we are still on the new facebook, let's all not login for one day ! [...] Please invite all your friends in this group so that we could really make an happening on December 15th! Waiting to have at least 1, 000, 000 members attending !

To add my two cents, the changes in format Facebook made are appalling because there was little consultation among its users and because when the administrators learned of their consumers' angst, they did nothing about it. While the changes in the "new" Facebook took some time to get used to, it has not caused within me any neuroses. I am taking part in the Facebook Blackout not so much to make a certain point, but rather to show solidarity with those who seek to cause ripples.

The New Look of IB

2008-12-02T20:30:00.002-05:00

While surfing the interwebs, it has come to my attention that the International Baccalaureate, whose Diploma I earned in 2005 while at the Newport News Centre for the International Baccalaureate at Warwick High School, has a new look.

The new look of IB is seen above, whereas the "old" logo is seen below. The old logo is what I'm used to looking at from my IB days. I'm not quite sure what to think of the new look. Of course, I don't keep up with IB as intensely as I did during my angst-ridden teenage years, so I can't be sure how new this teal logo really is.

As an aside, from the aforelinked Warwick IB website:

IB Alumni Day

Alumni Day is scheduled for January 6, 2009 at 8:00 am in the Warwick auditorium. Alumni who wish to speak on behalf of their college/university should email Ms. Kennedy.

I'm looking forward.

Thoughts for Ann Coulter

2008-11-26T20:18:00.002-05:00

Mother has informed me that conservative pop star Ann Coulter has had her jaw wired shut. In disbelief, I did a Google News scan. It's true -- the diva of the conservative movement had a tumble not too long ago and has indeed had her jaw wired.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, has a decent overview of what jaw wiring is (The concept is new to me, too):

The act of wiring a jaw keeps it closed for some amount of time. Originally this was as the mandibular equivalent of a cast, to fix the jaw in place while a fracture healed [...]

Because this is not exactly front-page news, reports of Coulter's procedure seem to be almost exclusively confined to the Internet. It seems as if coverage is coming mostly from liberal bloggers and liberal websites like the Huffington Post. The left-wing blogosphere must be eager to make light of Coulter's condition and exploit the irony thereof.

In fact, I could only find one fair, Coulter-positive write-up of this story. Unfortunately, this was at Associated Content and I closed the screen before I could copy the URL for inclusion here. Because Associated Content is full of user-generated content, it would be impractical -- if not near impossible -- for me to find the post.

Ann Coulter has her fair share of haters, but do not count me among them: despite her biting rhetoric, she is a fundamentally good woman. When this blog was in its more infant stages, I wrote about my experience at the 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference here. What I didn't mention is that I got to briefly meet Ann during a book signing event sponsored by the Leadership Institute. (Coulter signed my program.) The 2009 conference is scheduled for February. I can only assume her jaw will have been unwired by then.

Best wishes to Ms. Coulter for a speedy recovery.

Steven C. Latimer, Columnist

2008-11-25T22:05:00.002-05:00

I've agreed to become a regular columnist next semester for the Commonwealth Times. From where things stand currently, this will be a twice weekly thing and will be placed in the paper's "Opinion" section.

Rich Griset, the paper's Managing Editor, would like me to focus on conservative topics to strike a balance with the Commonwealth Times' more liberal Opinion Editor Sarah Sonies, but adds I am free to write about whatever I wish.

As usual, suggestions are welcome ...

Beep beep, beep beep, yeah!

2008-11-21T11:24:00.003-05:00

I have a bit of good news to share - after a somewhat protracted hunt - this morning I signed a 6-month lease for a parking space near my residence in Richmond (about .2 miles away). The lease begins on 1 January 2009 at 3pm and terminates on 30 June 2009 at 9am.

I originally tried to purchase a parking space through VCU Parking and Transportation services in one of their decks or lots, but it appears to be that overnight parking is only sold to students who live on campus, that is, in a residence hall. Because I live off campus, the University classifies me as a "commuter student." Hence, VCU can only offer me parking in their facilities from 7am to 2am. On the one hand, this is stupid, but on the other hand I can see why this regulation is in effect.

I am leasing this parking space from the same company that manages the building I live in. Even though the price is higher than my neighborhood's market going rate for monthly parking, it is still significantly inexpensive, at 60 dollars per month.

(To the right: the Neon. Photograph was taken last winter in the Wal-Mart Newport News parking lot)

Beep beep, beep beep, yeah!

Check Back Monday

2008-11-14T11:39:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, due to my social and academic obligations, I have been unable to blog about anything in the past week or so.

Check back Monday for a bevy of news and analysis.

UPDATE (17 NOV 11:39pm): Sadly, due to a ferocious term paper for my MATH 490 class, I can't put anything significant here until Wednesday night.

Laugh of the Day: Gallagher's Giant Couch

2008-11-05T14:49:00.001-05:00

The best part of this video is toward the end.

Daylight Saving Time

2008-11-02T09:38:00.003-05:00

This morning when I woke up my alarm clock said that it's about 10:30am. But when I checked my cell phone - whose battery was recharging throughout the night - it read 9:30am.

I just got a free hour due to Daylight Saving Time. How sweet is that?

UPDATE (9:43am): Ironically enough, I'm finding that I'm spending a part of this "free" hour turning back my watch and two alarm clocks (I'm a heavy sleeper, I know).

Scenes of the "Virginia, Stand Up For Jesus!" Rally

2008-11-01T23:07:00.006-04:00

This post is meant to be viewed after reading and watching my first part, Virginia Stood Up For Jesus!. --SCL

Event organizer Gordon James "Chaps" Klingenschmitt

Delegate and former Virginia State Trooper Bill Carrico

They had more t-shirts than necessary, so I got one for free.

Singing

One of the chaplains who was forced out by a Kaine appointee speaks.

Virginia Stood Up For Jesus!

2008-11-01T22:28:00.003-04:00

This morning, I awoke bright and early and headed down to Capitol Square for the "Save the Chaplains" rally. Anywhere from 500 to 1,000 diverse Virginians came out to the mostly Evangelical-appearing event (I'm bad at estimating crowd sizes - hence the wide range).

The gist of the matter was that it goes against America's and Virginia's founding principles and it is bad public policy to mandate to whom Virginia State Police chaplains may or may not pray.

None of the speakers, guests, or rally-goers expressed hostility or negative sentiment to Governor Tim Kaine (who was clearly not in attendance), just their disappointment in his refusal to reinstate these chaplains who had to resign their claplaincies or be terminated from their positions. Tim Kaine is a good Christian, and the rally-goers were simply redressing their grievances, stated one of the speakers.

The speakers at this event made it clear that they are not trying to force any particular faith on anyone. That would be rude. Rather, they find it in poor taste to tell someone that they cannot pray to whomever they wish.

I brought my digital camera with me and took video. First, State Senator Steve Martin belts out the first and fourth verses of the national anthem:

Martin along with Delegate Bill Carrico reported that legislation is on its way that will prevent future incidents like this from happening in Virginia. (The Virginia General Assembly convenes in January 2009, a mere two months from now.)

Later, Mathew Staver, the dean of Liberty University's School of Law speaks on the rule of law and American heritage:

To add my two cents worth, I find this entire situation patently unfair and wrong. I can only hope this event convinces Governor Kaine otherwise and highlights the situation to the general populace.

Virginia, Stand Up For Jesus!

2008-10-31T23:38:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow morning, I anticipate being on Capitol Square for the "Save the Chaplains" rally, honoring the six Virginia State Police chaplains who were forced to resign for publicly praying in "Jesus name." Eighty-six Virginia clergy requested that Governor Tim Kaine reinstate the chaplains, but the governor personally refused.

This is not some type of fringe cause, but rather a really big deal.

Now, I'm all for having a wall of separation between church and state, but this is just ridiculous.

This event is being put on by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, who had something similar happen to him when he was a U.S. Navy Chaplain. More information on this event can be found at www.prayinjesusname.org

With any luck, I'll have photographs and a write-up posted sometime Saturday evening.

Calling it for McCain

2008-10-31T22:39:00.004-04:00

I am predicting that John McCain will win Tuesday's presidential election by a slim margin. I base this on several factors, however chief among them are the following:
-

First, John McCain has been gaining on Obama over the last few days, reports Dick Morris and Eileen McGann of Newsmax. Since McCain has been eating into Obama's lead recently, this is likely to continue for the next few days, if not into Election Day. Advantage: MCCAIN
-

Secondly, Barack Obama's partial Muslim heritage, ties to nutty Chicagoans, and penchant for socialism has resurfaced in the past few days. These do not help Obama's campaign. Advantage: MCCAIN

Football Predictions

2008-10-31T19:35:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed that I have stopped making week-by-week predictions for the NFL games this season. This is for a variety of reasons.

This is the first time I have ever done something like this, and it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. There are many people who know more than I do on this subject matter anyhow, and are better qualified in my judgement.

[Week 6 Record: 6-7; Overall: 52-35 (.598)]

A Tip of the Hat

2008-10-26T00:57:00.001-04:00

With respect to today's post "Lee the Student," I would be completely remiss if I did not give a hat tip to Lee Vogler.

Lee the Student

2008-10-26T00:55:00.001-04:00

One of my college chums Lee - who has been a BIG McCain supporter since day one - likens himself to the now famous Joe the Plumber, to whom Barack Obama recently showed his more socialist leanings. And America was founded on freedom, not socialism.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow ...

2008-10-26T00:22:00.004-04:00

On Saturday it rained off and on in Richmond. Once I got back inside it naturally stopped raining. I peeped out of my window and found a rainbow ensconced in an overcast sky and photographed it.

Afterward, I chased the rainbow to its terminal point so I could get the leprechaun's pot of gold. Sadly, due to the increased value of gold, demand is higher, so someone already took it by the time I arrived.

But Will They Call Him That?

2008-10-23T23:21:00.002-04:00

Chad Johnson can't wear the football jersey he'd like to unless he compsenates Reebok, which he has elected not to. Starting next season he can wear his new legal name of Chad Ocho Cinco on his jersey, reports FOX Sports.

But will they call him that?

The Bob Barr Pumpkin "Carving" Extravaganza!

2008-10-17T20:48:00.007-04:00

Home in Newport News for VCU's Reading Days - colloquially known as Fall Break - I observed a pumpkin sitting atop our front porch (a common Halloween paraphernalia). I asked my mom if I could carve it and she said no, because if I do, the pumpkin will rot, and we want it to keep until Thanksgiving.

After all, mother knows best.

So I asked if I could draw on it with a Sharpie, and she obliged under the condition I draw on only one side (if spheres can have sides). That way, after Halloween we can flip it around 180 degrees for Thanksgiving.

Behold, the Bob Barr pumpkin!

Here is an alternate vista:

(This was modeled off a file photo of Barr, which can be found in Wikipedia here.)

Bob Barr Says Hello to Newport News

2008-10-17T20:19:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday evening, the Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr gave an address at Christopher Newport University's Yoder Barn Theatre to about 100 people. Making a joint appearance with Virginia's US Senate candidate Bill Redpath, Barr discussed his campaign, current events, and fielded questions along with Redpath.

Barr said that he does not feel that Sarah Palin is qualified to be Vice President of the United States because someone who could have to unexpectedly step into the presidency has to have more experience than she does. Since I feel favorable to Palin, this stuck out. I thought about asking Barr during the Q&A session how his running mate, businessman and Vegas oddsmaker Wayne Allyn Root, is qualified to be Vice President, however I decided to be nice and stay mum on the subject. (After all, how relevant is Root?)

What follows are some pictures from the event. I don't think I have to say this, but ... enjoy!

Barr, contemplative

C. J., the leader of the CNU Libertarians, fields the first question from the audience. I guess sitting in the front row has the potential to be a good thing.

Barr converses afterwards with students and/or young people

Me with Bob Barr! Yay!

Shaun Alexander: A Team Player

2008-10-16T12:09:00.003-04:00

On Monday, the Washington Redskins signed former MVP Shaun Alexander to back up the Redskins' number two running back, Ladell Betts, who is injured. Betts typically backs up Clinton Portis.

Also signed was Ryan Plackemeier, who will punt in place of Durant Brooks, who was released chiefly due to poor performance. (Plackemeier, like Alexander, played for the Seattle Seahawks.)

When Alexander was introduced to the Washington media, he had this to say:

You can get stats, fame and fortune, but if you don’t end up with a ring, you’re never satisfied. I’m going to do whatever I can as a veteran, leader or backup to help us [the Redskins] do that.

and that:

I told Clinton that I wanted him to go rush for 2,000 yards this year, play well and do something special that we can all remember.

Alexander's comments are heartening. It's gratifying to learn there are good athletes in the league like Shaun Alexander who are team players. And it is refreshing to hear such articulate, positive comments.

Unlike some football players who aren't team players and don't usually share keen insights (cough, Terrell Owens, cough).

Pictures from the Sarah Palin Rally in Richmond

2008-10-15T13:23:00.005-04:00

Well, it would be a huge understatement to say that it was a treat to see Sarah Palin on Monday in Henrico County. I took my camera along for the ride, and snapped some photos. Here are the "best of." Enjoy!

People waiting in a line wrapped around several times to get in

Would make more sense to say "Sane Americans Reject A Hussein Obama." Oh, well.

To the extent that McCain supports free enterprise, yes.

Hank Williams, Jr. of Monday Night Football fame butchers our National Anthem

Crowd whipped to a frenzy

Gov. Palin at podium, Hank Williams in football jersey. Todd Palin seated at right.

Me, after the rally ended. I am squinting because it was very sunny with little cloud cover. (Incidentally, this produced a minor sunburn.)

Former Governor Jim Gilmore and US Senate candidate meets and greets rallygoers to remind them there is also a US Senate race that will coincide with the Presidential election

This picture speaks for itself.

NOTE: This is only a sampling of the pictures I took. For the rest, view my public album here.

The Eagle's Nest

2008-10-10T23:41:00.005-04:00

Talk about a vestige of the past: earlier today, my father emailed my brother and me to alert us that our old scout troop, Troop 6 back in Newport News, now has a webpage, and we've been mentioned.

Since my brother and I are both Eagle Scouts, we've been given a perch in the Eagle's Nest.

After my brother Kevin and our friend Michael Dubay beat me to the punch by a few months, we all had our Eagle Court of Honor in one fell swoop in October 2005 at Second Presbyterian (of whose preschool I am an alumnus) in Newport News (see below) where we officially became Eagle Scouts.

Just a tidbit of Scouting lore.

Left to right: me, Michael Dubay, Kevin Latimer

ICYMI: Bill Redpath Spoke at Virginia Commonwealth University

2008-10-10T23:31:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it, Bill Redpath, the Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate, spoke at VCU this past Wednesday evening. My friend Rick Sincere happened to be in town that night, and he took video of Redpath's appearance, which can be found in one organized location here.

(hat tip to Rick)

Buckley for Obama?

2008-10-10T23:14:00.002-04:00

Just goes to show you that neither John McCain nor Chris Buckley are conservative.

(h/t Gonzalo Aida)

Week 6 Picks

2008-10-10T22:38:00.002-04:00

New York Jets over Cincinnati
Miami over Houston
Chicago over Atlanta
Minnesota over Detroit
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Indianapolis over Baltimore
New Orleans over Oakland
Washington over St. Louis
Denver over Jacksonville
Green Bay over Seattle
Dallas over Arizona
Philadelphia over San Francisco
New England over San Diego

(Week 5 Record: 11-3; Cumulative Record: 46-28)

The Art of Ending

2008-10-06T23:59:00.002-04:00

"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending."

So wrote American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is in this spirit that I announce that I have resigned from the VCU Student Body Senate.

I never intended to be in the Student Senate. But in early 2006, Tyler Bass - a friend of a friend who was running for Student Body President at the time - encouraged me to run for Student Senate. Tyler inspired me, and on a whim I ran and I won.

For the next two years and some change, I was in essence Tyler's protege. (After Tyler lost his race, he did some journalism work, and then graduated.) Tyler was no longer here, but his ideas lived on in the form of me - ideas that propelled me myself to run for Student Body President last Spring. Ideas that matter like budget transparency and openness - and a distaste for snobbish elitism.

The two acts I am proudest to have engineered while on Student Senate are the VCU Freedom Act and the "VCU, Bring a Conservative!" Resolution.

I wrote the VCU Freedom Act, which requested that the University place Veterans Day on the University's calendar. VCU - among all public universities in Virginia - had the largest enrollment of student veterans, yet VCU was the last public university in the state to place Veterans Day on their calendar. After a good bit of hemming and hawing, the VCU administration decided to reference the November 11 observance on its calendar; see VCU's Fall 2009 calendar.

When concerns arose over a lack of diversity in the guests VCU paid to bring, my "VCU, Bring a Conservative!" Resolution asked the University to host and sponsor a notable conservative speaker. I can't say this resolution accomplished the said goal, but it seemed to add diversity to the speakers list.

Many have asked why I have suddenly decided to resign my Senate seat. Truthfully, there are several reasons. Time is one consideration. Another is that I have come full circle. The Senate continues to address issues that it seems like have already been addressed long ago. I won't be a part of an organization that goes in circles. Electing new, different leadership to the SGA Executive Branch is the best chance to truly solve problems.

But that's a different topic for a different day.

"When Right and Left Meet" by the Southern Avenger

2008-10-06T08:26:00.001-04:00

Jack Hunter, a.k.a. the Southern Avenger has got to be the most clear-thinking conservative in YouTube. His videos are always a treat.

Week 5 Picks

2008-10-04T18:12:00.002-04:00

Tennessee over Baltimore
Carolina over Kansas City
Chicago over Detroit
Green Bay over Atlanta
Indianapolis over Houston
San Diego over Miami
New York Giants over Seattle
Washington over Philadelphia
Denver over Tampa Bay
Arizona over Buffalo
Dallas over Cincinnati
New England over San Francisco
Pittsburgh over Jacksonville
New Orleans over Minnesota

(Week 4 Record: 8-5; Cumulative Record: 35-25)

Jim Gilmore Brandishes Conservative Credentials

2008-10-04T14:06:00.003-04:00

In last night's US Senate debate, I was very impressed by Jim Gilmore's clarity of thought, and his conservative credentials.

On the unconservative Wall Street bailout (which Mark Warner supports), Gilmore said this:

I am strongly opposed to asking America’s hard working families to cover the bets of the Wall Street high rollers and insiders who exploited flaws in government regulations to make personal fortunes and devastate our economy. [...] Requiring taxpayers to cough up $700 billion without providing them any additional assurances for their own financial security is wrong. [...] Maybe Mark Warner finds it easy to take more and more of the taxpayers’ money, but I do not.

On other issues, Gilmore expressed his opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens, as well as the unconservative court case Roe v. Wade. His opponent, Mark Warner, came out in full support of both.

This intercourse between the two was--and will be--the campaign's only live, televised debate. Virginia may very well no longer be considered a "red" state for the time being, but Virginia's denizens are still fundamentally conservative at heart. They have a conservative mindset; conservativism is still "in" here.

This being said, let's see if anything happens now that the debate is over.

OJ is Guilty!

2008-10-04T12:27:00.002-04:00

Much to the perpetual amusement of the effervescent Nancy Grace, it appears that OJ Simpson will finally be heading to the slammer, where he belongs.

Honestly, who saw this coming? I thought the guy was invincible!

Talk of Impeachment

2008-09-29T14:51:00.004-04:00

BREAKING

There are rumors flying around that at today's 4 p.m. meeting of the VCU Student Senate, there may be articles of impeachment introduced.

Check back later tonight for more details and developments.

UPDATE (10:35 p.m.): At today's Senate meeting, no articles were introduced, however it is being said that articles may be introduced sometime later this week or next. Stay tuned ...

UPDATE (4 OCT 12:18 p.m.): It appears all this may have been wet. If anything else develops, I'll post it here. --SCL

Republican Liberty Caucus Advises Against Bailout

2008-09-29T08:50:00.002-04:00

In a news release issued today, the Republican Liberty Caucus came out swinging against the U.S. government's proposed bailout plan, in which our federal government actually purchases key businesses that have failed and cannot stand on their own.

The organization's chairman, Bill Westmiller, starts the release by besmirching the government takover of bad businesses, then discusses why his organization feels that this current financial stress was caused by too much government intervention and regulation, not less. Finally, Westmiller laments over the lack of accountability measures in these "Government Sponsored Enterprises." He concludes by thanking those who are standing up against the proposed bailout.

The entire text of the RLC news release can be found here.

Hail to the Redskins!

2008-09-28T22:06:00.002-04:00

Redskins win over Dallas!

Week 4 Picks

2008-09-28T12:57:00.002-04:00

Carolina over Atlanta
Cleveland over Cincinnati
Jacksonville over Houston
Denver over Kansas City
New Orleans over San Francisco
Arizona over New York Jets
Green Bay over Tampa Bay
Tennessee over Minnesota
San Diego over Oakland
Buffalo over St. Louis
Dallas over Washington
Philadelphia over Chicago
Pittsburgh over Baltimore (Monday night)

(Week 3 Record: 10-6; Cumulative Record: 27-20)

A Farewell to Reams

2008-09-24T21:35:00.004-04:00

Last week while traipsing through Oliver Hall, I was taken aback when I found the office of Dr. Robert Reams seemingly vacant.

Oliver Hall houses VCU's Department of Mathematics, among others.

I could only assume that Dr. Reams' office had been relocated or that - being a journeyman mathematics professor - he decided to accept a teaching position elsewhere.

After searching through the VCU website, I found that Reams has indeed left VCU after at most five years as a professor. Greener pastures must be at SUNY Plattsburgh; on his official VCU webpage, Reams writes:

My new address from August 2008 will be: Room 239E, Hawkins Hall, Department of Mathematics, SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

This makes SUNY Plattsburgh at least the sixth American university Dr. Reams has taught at. (See Reams' SUNY Plattsburgh faculty listing here.)

The scraggly and often humorless Irishman taught me a pair of 300-level mathematics classes during my sophomore year: Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning, and Linear Algebra. A pure mathematician, Reams' tutelage helped me develop a greater understanding and appreciation for topics such as set theory, the elements of proof, and linear algebra. Were it not for Dr. Reams, I would not have obtained the high degree of mathematical comprehension that I have today.

A farewell to Reams.

Week 3 Picks

2008-09-21T09:26:00.002-04:00

Kansas City over Atlanta
Buffalo over Oakland
Chicago over Tampa Bay
Carolina over Minnesota
New England over Miami
New York Giants over Cincinnati
Tennessee over Houston
Washington over Arizona
Denver over New Orleans
San Francisco over Detroit
Seattle over St. Louis
Cleveland over Baltimore
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Philadelphia over Pittsburgh
Dallas over Green Bay
San Diego over New York Jets

(Week 2 Record: 10-5; Cumulative Record: 17-14)

Constitution Day at VCU and Elsewhere

2008-09-17T21:58:00.005-04:00

Because I am a libertarian, I'd be completely amiss if I did not mention that today is "Constitution Day," a day initially ensconced in the mind of Sen. Robert Byrd in 2004 because Americans are supposedly ignorant of our founding document.

Problem is, the provisions of Byrd's mandating that educational institutions - namely universites - that receive federal dollars must create some programming related to Constitution Day are unconstitutional, at least in theory.

In 2006, Walter Williams used the bully pulpit of his syndicated column to address the issue. Williams is my mother's favorite economist, and she sent me his column "Teaching about the Constitution," which was published in the Daily Press on September 13, 2006. I have scanned Williams' piece, and it appears below:

(Williams' article can also be read here, courtesy of the Jewish World Review.)

Virginia Commonwealth University appears to be in full compliance of Big Brother's mandate, and to boot, has a showy Constitution Day website to show for it, here.

Curiosity killed the cat, so I decided to attend the lecture today by the State Solicitor General for Virginia, Stephen McCullough. In a nutshell, McCullough argued to a small crowd that while the United States is generally more pro-freedom than other countries in the West, there are concerns on the horizon, especially if our Constitution becomes a delegitimized scrap of paper, like what happened to the Soviet Constitution.

Patriot Day: An Exercise in Spelling and Punctuation

2008-09-12T08:30:00.005-04:00

As we all know, yesterday was the seventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. What many don't know is that since 2002, every subsequent September 11 has been designated "Patriot Day" by a presidential proclamation, which is authorized by a resolution the Congress passed long ago. (This year's proclamation can be found here.)

Few Americans actually call it that, and even then, it is an exercise in spelling and punctuation. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., I appeared as a guest on Jonathan and Nate's A-List Show on WVCW. Toward the end of the program, we talked a bit about remembering the attacks and I brought up that it is designated as Patriot Day.

The next day I received a text message from co-host Nate Waggoner in which he sardonically writes, "Happy patriot's day!" This just goes to show you how much of a grammatical exercise this is; Nate is certainly referring to Patriot Day, however he actually references Patriot's Day -- a civic holiday observed in some states, namely Massachusetts, that commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord that kicked off the American Revolutionary War. Patriot's Day occurs in April.

Week 2 Picks

2008-09-11T18:09:00.002-04:00

Carolina over Chicago
Cincinnati over Tennessee
Green Bay over Detroit
Jacksonville over Buffalo
Kansas City over Oakland
Indianapolis over Minnesota
New York Giants over St. Louis
Washington over New Orleans
Seattle over San Francisco
Tampa over Atlanta
Arizona over Miami
San Diego over Denver
Baltimore over Houston
New England over New York Jets
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Dallas over Philadelphia (Monday night)

(Week 1 Record: 7-9; Cumulative Record: 7-9)

Tuesday Morning Minutiae

2008-09-10T09:37:00.007-04:00

Yesterday the Tuesday Morning Group held its September coalition meeting in the Virginia State Capitol Building, followed by a brief "news conference." (Read on and you'll find out why I have placed news conference in quotes.)

The usual host, John Taylor, was away in Tokyo at the time with his wife Lynn so they could attend the meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society. In his place, Brian Gottstein (below) got to play the role of host.

The first speaker was Jonathan Williams of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. Williams cited the results of ALEC's new study, Rich States, Poor States which seeks to establish a correlation between taxation policy and wealth.

Then Ed Braddy spoke. He is the executive director of the American Dream Coalition. Braddy spoke on how flawed "smart growth" and "new urbanism" really are. While appearing innocent, these models frequently end up controlling people against their wishes, rather than controlling urban space, argued Braddy.

George Mason University Economics Department chairman Don Boudreaux then rounded out the speakers with his talk on "Political Myths." I introduced myself to the nutty professor prior to the coalition meeting commenced and mentioned to Dr. Boudreaux that I am a VCU student majoring in mathematics who aspires to become an actuary. Boudreaux looked approvingly, even likening me to Milton Friedman - who once wanted to become an actuary himself. (Boudreaux surmised that this means I will win a Nobel Prize, just like Friedman did. Hmmm ...)

Then it was time for a "news conference" on an initiative that the National Taxpayers' Union is doing on taxes. NTU's national kickoff was to begin in Richmond, but according to Gottstein, the media read the press release (below) wrong and thought the conference was scheduled for Monday. After the representative from NTU spoke, State Senator Ken Cuccinelli was scheduled to speak, however because Cuccinelli was running late, the conference had to end without him.

Gottstein summed up what he thinks Cuccinelli would have said: "Tirade, tirade, tirade! Taxes bad!"

I scanned the press release I received yesterday, which is below:

Susan Bitter Smith comes up short in Arizona

2008-09-09T21:54:00.002-04:00

Some of the more enthusiastic readers of this blog will know that I have been giving a bit of coverage to the election in Arizona's fifth congressional district, and particularly to Susan Bitter Smith. (See here and here.)

Normally I don't pay attention to Arizona politics, but I have been making an exception because I am friends with Bitter Smith's niece, Angela.

Susan Bitter Smith's campaign for Congress came to a screeching halt last Tuesday when she lost the Republican primary to David Schweikert, reports KSAZ-TV (FOX 10) here.

Despite being endorsed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Bitter Smith couldn't pull it off. Schweikert faces incumbent Representative Harry Mitchell (D) who stands for re-election to Congress for the first time.

Remembering Gene Upshaw

2008-09-07T13:08:00.002-04:00

Fans of the National Football League may be tuning in to Week 1 games and wondering why players are adorning the letters "GU" on their jerseys.

They are doing so in memory of the late Gene Upshaw, reports ESPN. Upshaw died last month after spending 25 years as director of the NFL Players' Association. Prior to that he played as guard for the Oakland Raiders.

Regionalism Rears its Ugly Head in Richmond

2008-09-05T01:08:00.004-04:00

Yesterday when I saw that the masthead of Thursday's Richmond Times-Dispatch proclaimed that plans are underway to create another unelected transportation (taxing) authority - this time for the Richmond region - I almost had to do a double take. So reports RTD staff writer Will Jones here.

Created in earnest under the guise of raising revenues to fund transportation projects, these regional transportation authorities almost always without fail turn into unelected, regional taxation authorities, which is not what we need. These RTAs, as they are known, severely undermine sovereignty of the people.

I'm not suggesting all taxes and fees are automatically bad. Rather, any taxes and fees need to be approved by the voters via referenda, rather than by unelected regional authorities. If created, the Central Virginia Regional Transportation Authority will do the latter.

Jones of the Times-Dispatch writes:

Authorities were set up for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, but a Virginia Supreme Court ruling essentially knocked them down as unconstitutional. The central Virginia proposal is structured to avoid a similar entanglement, said Henrico County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett, who prepared the draft.

Now, I understand the need to avoid challenges in court, but you have to realize that RTAs are very unpopular. Just ask former Virginia State Senators Marty Williams and Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, who fell victim to intense public outrage when the Virginia General Assembly passed HB 3202 during the 2007 session.

Whether or not a proposed Richmond RTA can justify itself in court, there is little demand among the people for another layer of government that is difficult to afford. Our leaders would be wise to understand this. Unfortunately, I fear they won't.

Week 1 picks

2008-09-03T19:56:00.002-04:00

Throughout the NFL regular season, I will be picking winners of football games across the league. Here are my picks for Week 1 (all games are on Sunday unless otherwise noted):

Washington over New York Giants (Thursday night)
Seattle over Buffalo
Pittsburgh over Houston
New Orleans over Tampa Bay
Atlanta over Detroit
St. Louis over Philadelphia
Jacksonville over Tennessee
New York Jets over Miami
Cincinnati over Baltimore
New England over Kansas City
San Francisco over Arizona
San Diego over Carolina
Dallas over Cleveland
Indianapolis over Chicago
Minnesota over Green Bay (Monday night)
Denver over Oakland (Monday night)

Check back next week and see how I did!

Super Bowl XLIII prediction

2008-09-03T17:42:00.003-04:00

Super Bowl XLIII will be held in Tampa Bay on February 1, 2009. The 2008 NFL season begins tomorrow night when the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins play in the NFL kickoff game. This will coincide with John McCain (R-AZ) accepting his party's nomination for President of the United States.

I'm predicting that the San Diego Chargers will beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIII.

I'm probably wrong, but I wanted to put this on the record in case this does happen. That way I can say "told you so!"

Covering: a Review

2008-08-31T15:19:00.002-04:00

On July 22, I reported on how Steve Rossie finds VCU's summer reading selection, Covering, questionable here.

I stated on July 22 that I would write a review on Yoshino's book once I read it. Well, I've finished and I have written a review, which will appear in the September 2008 issue of the Broad Street Journal, whose inaugural April 2008 release I blogged about on April 2 here.

The online issue of the September 2008 BSJ will not be released until late Monday night at the absolute earliest, so the following is something of an exclusive sneak preview. Enjoy:

Covering: a Review

STEVEN LATIMER

Keeping a perceived social stigma under the radar is called “covering” and is something we all do from time to time. So argues Asian homosexual author Kenji Yoshino in his 2006 book Covering: the Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights.

Yoshino’s book is the University College’s assigned summer reading for new students arriving on campus for the Fall 2008 semester. New students are not given a choice of books to read; students are specifically required to read Covering. Upon arriving on campus, freshmen must attend a discussion group during Welcome Week, presumably to discuss Yoshino’s book.

The University has had a Summer Reading Program in place since the University College was created in 2006; the program applies only to incoming students—returning students are not required to read Yoshino’s book.

Yoshino’s book is essentially a book on his being gay. While it is not a “coming out” book, it is a glorified list of complaints. The author is repetitive in his arguments, making Covering something less than a page-turner.

While some members of the VCU Class of 2012 may certainly find Yoshino’s book interesting and relevant, many will not. To remedy this, it would be helpful if the
University College’s book selection committee made a list of several books—both modern and classics—and let students choose a book from the list that they would find interesting and applicable to their lives.

Assigning multiple options would enable VCU students to develop individual beliefs, instead of encouraging them to simply parrot liberal academic worldviews.

All Mixed Up

2008-08-26T17:53:00.008-04:00

Calling all radio enthusiasts!

My good friend, VCU student Gonzalo Aida holds a weekly one-hour long radio show on WVCW at http://www.wvcw.org/, called All Mixed Up with Gonzi. The show airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (NOTE: This may involve downloading RealPlayer; even though this is a radio show, it's not actually over the radio, if that makes any sense. It's streamed online.)

Gonzi has been hosting his radio show since last semester and since that, things have really taken off. Tonight is Gonzalo's inaugural show of the semester. His special guest will be Conor Murphy. I'll be tuning in at 10, in a matter of hours. But don't take my word for it ... ba da daa!

Sincere: Bob Barr Comes to Richmond

2008-08-15T14:42:00.002-04:00

This past Tuesday, I attended the Tuesday Morning Group Coalition meeting, and took video of Bob Barr speaking to the organization on his campaign for President.

Once I uploaded video into YouTube, Rick Sincere wrote a blog post about it, which can be found here.

Looks like later the Barr organization used Rick's post as a part of their write-up. Since Barr linked to Rick, and since Rick linked to my blog, I can only assume this will spike up my blog traffic.

I'm on a roll ...

"Day for Congress"

2008-08-13T21:19:00.003-04:00

Bill Day (D) has announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress (VA-1), and is ambitious enough to have a website up and running: www.voteday.org

Hmmm ...

Who is the Real Barack Obama?

2008-08-11T22:29:00.002-04:00

One of my friends, Steve Bierfeldt, has co-authored a new book coming out soon: Who is the Real Barack Obama?.

Since I'm a blogger, I've been asked to be kind and link to the book's webpage, which can be found here.

According to one of two co-authors Francisco Gonzalez:

This will increase the traffic and help us in our [sic] google rankings. So, when someone searches for Obama or simply asks google "who is Obama?" they'll be more likely to see our website appear due to your efforts! [...] the book's authors will be making daily posts including excerpts from the book.

The book is expected to be available to order at the end of this week. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as it does. Stay tuned.

A Note from Ken

2008-08-09T22:38:00.004-04:00

The following is a letter I received in the snail mail from Ken Cuccinelli, who is in the process of seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia Attorney General. I licked the tip of my index finger and gently smeared the letter's signature to confirm that - yes - the letter was signed by Ken himself (gasp)!

Cuccinelli is fishing for support from activists so he can secure the Republicans' nomination for Attorney General, as are Arlington County School Board Chairman Dave Foster, and former U.S. attorney John Brownlee.

On July 29, Jason Kenney of J's Notes wrote about the letter I received from Dave Foster here.

I haven't gotten anything from John Brownlee in the mail, but if I do, I suppose I will write about it here. Brownlee is scheduled to speak before the Richmond GOP on September 23 at Que Pasa restaurant in Church Hill. Hopefully I can attend and write a blog post about it, if not take video.

In the meantime, here is Ken's missive. Enjoy!

Odd Consumer Item for the Day

2008-08-09T21:41:00.002-04:00

The Can Grenade promises to invite odd stares when used by the consumer. Essentially, it's like a cooler you were around your waist, torso, etc.

This looks like the kind of thing you would find on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, specifically the recurring segment "Stuff We Found on eBay."

What's up with all these celebrity deaths?

2008-08-09T11:12:00.003-04:00

Is it just me, or does it seem like all these celebrities keep unexpectedly dropping like flies?

I can't necessarily lay my finger on it, but it seems there have been a spate of celebrity deaths recently.

First it was George Carlin. Then Tim Russert. And Tony Snow.

The death of Bernie Mac this morning seems to solidify my observation.

R.I.P. all

My Laugh for the Day

2008-08-04T09:06:00.002-04:00

It's still early in the morning, but I think I have already experienced my laugh of the day, thanks to Norm Leahy over at the Tertium Quids blog.

Beep beep.

For 31 July

2008-07-31T13:14:00.001-04:00

Where has July gone? I feel like it was June only yesterday.

And for that matter, where has summer gone?

And by extention - where has 2008 gone?

Susan Bitter Smith rolls out first TV ad

2008-07-23T21:39:00.002-04:00

On June 26, I reported on the congressional campaign of Susan Bitter Smith, who is the aunt of my friend and VCU alumna Angela Bitter. (See Bitter's Barnstorm)

Apparently, Bitter Smith has rolled out her first television ad, which can be viewed on YouTube here, or on the main page of Susan Bitter Smith's website, www.bittersmith.com

What a heart-warming, personable ad! I think Bitter Smith would make a fantastic Congresswoman!

The "new" Facebook

2008-07-23T17:26:00.006-04:00

Just the other day, Facebook at long last rolled out the much anticipated "new" Facebook. Essentially, nothing is really new; everything has just been tossed around in a different way than it was before. My friend Gonzalo Aida alerted me that I was not capable of detecting Facebook's new features because my browser has not been upgraded. Indeed, since since I acquired my desktop in 2005, I have done nothing special to it.

Said Facebook:

You are using an incompatible web browser. Sorry, we're not cool enough to support your browser. Please keep it real with one of the following browsers:

Facebook then proceeded to list a few browsers it likes. I think the new look is so funky (I can see the "new" look when I am on the terminals in the James Branch Cabell Library, a.k.a. Club JBC) I'll not upgrade my browser for the time being (unless I have to). I guess I don't really like change, or something like that.

Steve Rossie asks: What's Up at VCU?

2008-07-22T23:34:00.004-04:00

Contributor Steve Rossie of the Family Foundation reports on VCU's summer reading selection, Kenji Yoshino's Covering, at his blog post here. Rossie's post is worth reading.

(VCU's summer reading program applies only to incoming freshmen. Because it was instituted in 2006 - after I arrived at VCU - it does not apply to me. Last summer, incoming students were required to read Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, a dyed-in-the-wool socialist.)

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with gay people writing books. Let me also say that I usually take what the Family Foundation says with a grain of salt. But Rossie has a very valid point.

If summer reading is to be required, there should be multiple options. That way, everyone can read something that applies to them!

I am withholding judgement on Yoshino's book until I read it; however, I sense that it will be an unfair, merciless attack on conservative ideals.

Once I read Yoshino's book, I will write a review on it.

RPV holds open house

2008-07-22T20:47:00.005-04:00

I just returned from an open house hosted by the
Republican Party of Virginia.

The goal of the meet and greet was to meet party chair Jeff Frederick and RPV's new Executive Director, Allison Coccia. The open house was held at party headquarters at the Obenshain Center in Richmond.

Much to my surprise, there were no speeches. This was probably a good thing since political speeches tend to be repetitious. It was mostly a come-and-go crowd which was so large at times it was impossible to move about without bumping shoulders with someone.

I could go into detail about all the people I met, but the most interesting one was the conversation I had with RPV summer intern and VCU student Jon White. We spoke mostly of politics and VCU-related issues. Jon is a senior mass communications major and was in charge of signing people in to the open house.

The Norman Rockwells, Roslyn create a splash at Alley Katz

2008-07-18T20:26:00.010-04:00

Last night, Richmond-based bands The Norman Rockwells and Roslyn performed to an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 100 at Alley Katz in downtown Richmond.

The event was a benefit to Latin American drug lords - I mean - hungry Honderan children!

It was surely a red-letter day for both bands: it was the debut for the Rockwells' new drummer, Chris Pittman. It was also the debut for the nascent Roslyn - consisting of Brooks Cullum and Pedro Aida.

The Norman Rockwells went first, and played their repertoire. I took video of their two signature songs:

First, the Rockwells played their harrowing song, "Where We Sleep"

This was followed by the Rockwells' melodic, saccharine "Sweet Northern Saints," seen below:

Soon enough, Roslyn took the stage and the Rockwells bid adieu. The crowd immediately reached a fever pitch, surging toward the stage to see their debut.

The following are pictures of Roslyn:

On stage: Brooks Cullum (l), Pedro Aida (r)

Congrats to Roslyn for their debut!

Nate's Encounter

2008-07-15T22:06:00.002-04:00

Today while randomly surfing the Internet, I encountered fellow VCU student and friend Nate Waggoner's blog, specifically his July 10 post in which he writes about his July 8 encounter with me.

It's an interesting read.

Nate's transcript of our conversation is markedly accurate; either he was recording our conversation -- unbeknownst to me -- or he just has a really good memory.

Nate is referencing the Tuesday Morning Group Coalition, which I blogged about here.

Let's hope that Nate's reference to the cigarette he was smoking was not an example of literary foreshadowing!

Video from Saturday's Ron Paul "Revolution" march

2008-07-13T22:45:00.001-04:00

I have just uploaded video into YouTube of the pre-rally festivities (for lack of a better description). Enjoy!

Paul's Promenade

2008-07-12T23:55:00.006-04:00

I spent most of the day in Washington, D.C. for the Revolution March. The following is a very rough summary of events. Enjoy!

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to the chorus of my three alarm clocks (I have two conventional alarm clocks, and my cell phone also has an alarm feature. Yeah, I know. I'm a heavy sleeper.) I obviously didn't want to miss anything! I then showered, and put on a set of clean clothes -- a pair of khaki shorts and my green polo shirt, which turned out to be a bad, bad idea (read on and you'll find out why).

Then at 6:50 a.m. I went outside, where I met VCU student and fellow Ron Paul supporter Aaron Jaek, who got a ride with me to the march. After stopping at Hardee's for a bite to eat in the form of a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, we then hopped on Interstate 95, which we drove to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station in Fairfax. (On the way up, we were passed by a station wagon full on Ron Paul people -- presumably going to the rally as well -- who honked and waved at us, observing my car's Ron Paul for President bumper sticker. Aaron was napping at the time, so only I returned their waves.)

We arrived at Franconia-Springfield at about 8:40 a.m. While waiting for the train to come, I bumped into Petey, a friend I made when I attended the going-away party for Paul Jost in May.

Above: Petey (l) and me (r)

Metro was teeming with Ron Paul people from Franconia-Springfield -- the terminus of the Blue Line -- all the way to Smithsonian. After we got off, we walked toward the Washington Monument, where the march was to begin. Thousands gathered just northeast of the monument, holding signs, and in general, just being happy and passionate about freedom.

Flags, props, and signage helped reflect the event's libertarian sentiment.

No doubt the event featured some fringe elements who have found Ron Paul to be a way of explaining their frustrations. Perhaps the most annoying group are the folks who think that 9/11 was an "inside job." I respect their opinions and analysis, but this just sounds silly.

For the most part, those who marched along Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues are normal people who are frustrated by excessive government -- and dumb government. The IRS and Federal Reserve were favored targets, here.

The march ended on Capitol Hill, where the crowd heard from a host of speakers, culminating with Ron Paul.

And now, the stupid story:

The day was very sunny with few clouds, and the temperature was a steamy 90 degrees. Long story short, libertarians are generally not the most formal people, and as such, many people removed their shirts to deal with the temperature. Noticing that my green polo shirt began to get sweaty, I removed it. (And now you will find out why wearing my polo shirt to the march and rally was a bad, bad idea.)

Since it was very hot, it seemed to me that shedding a heavy layer would work. Not so. Even though I applied sunblock and popped my collar when I was wearing my shirt, I got burnt to a crisp. As of this writing, I am as red as a lobster. I should have worn a t-shirt, which I could have comfortably kept on. Oh, well.

Afterward, Aaron and I had dinner at Union Station with my friends Rick Sincere and GMU student Richard Morrison, who were in town for the day. Following dinner, Aaron and I metroed back to Franconia-Springfield, and drove back to Richmond.

Above: my friends Lauren Sanders, Vladimir Rudenko, Conor Murphy

NOTE: All the pictures I took can be found at this public link.

"There are some potentates of pessimism out there!"

2008-07-10T23:26:00.009-04:00

So exclaimed Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Bill Bolling to a crowd of about 95 Richmond Republicans Thursday evening at the private residence of Kristin and Steve DeLuca in Northside.

I attended this event following the official opening of John McCain's Richmond campaign office, which I have written about here.

To the right is the Richmond GOP's official postcard I received in the mail inviting me to the event. The reverse side of the card promotes the event, declaring:

It's a new day for Richmond Republican Committee, and we're kicking off the Summer season with great food, great beverages, and a rip-roaring speech by a great American.

Presumably that great American is Bill Bolling. But first, Cortland Putbrese, the chairman of the Richmond GOP took the stage (actually, it was more like a deck) and got things started. He welcomed everyone, and then promptly introduced Roxane Gilmore, to speak in place of her husband, Jim Gilmore.

Mrs. Gilmore stated that those who are prematurely writing off Gilmore's campaign are not justified in doing so; Mrs. Gilmore said that Jim Gilmore has traveled 1400 miles throughout Virginia and distributed 10,000 pieces of literature and that his ideas are resonating with normal people.

Mrs. Gilmore is referring to the Gilmore campaign's Working Families Tour -- whose June 10 kickoff I blogged about. The Gilmore campaign featured my first-hand account of the event on their website here.

After Gilmore finished speaking, she turned the microphone over to the special guest for the evening, Bill Bolling. Bolling began by thanking Steve and Kristin DeLuca for being gracious enough to host this event. He then recognized Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick, who was at the event with this wife Amy, and baby girl.

Above: Jeff Frederick, smiling

Bolling then recognized Delegate Bill Janis and City Councilman Bruce Tyler, who were in attendance as well. Bolling then recalled how when he was growing up in small towns in Southwest Virginia -- like Cedar Bluff (population: 1085) -- he would have never imagined that one day he would do something that only 39 people have ever done: be Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

Above: Bill Bolling

Bolling's speech then turned serious. "This is not a game," he said, referring to the November election. On energy policy, Bolling suggested that "it is time that we declare a declaration of energy independence." Finally, the LG exclaimed that, "there are some potentates of pessimism out there!"

But perhaps the most interesting part of the evening was the pleasant exchange I had with pro-FairTax activist Josie Linen (née Toth) of Richmond. Noting the FairTax t-shirt she was wearing, I decided to strike up a conversation. It turns out that she professes a variety of libertarian ideals, as do I -- such as opposition to the federal government's War on Drugs.

Upon telling her that my name is Steven, she revealed to me that her brother was named Stephen, and was killed when the Israelis attacked the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, there are a host of conspiracy theories regarding the event. But indeed, according to Home of the Heroes, Stephen Spencer Toth of the US Navy was killed in action, for which he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

As I left the party, I observed a very interesting coincidence: as I was preparing to drive off, I saw that Josie must have parked her car in front of mine. I snapped a picture of her memorializing bumper sticker (I have redacted the licence plate here.)

Below: People enjoying themselves, taking in the scenery

McCain opens Richmond office

2008-07-10T23:12:00.007-04:00

Earlier this evening, I attended two political events: first, I attended the grand opening of John McCain's Richmond campaign office and -- to a lesser degree -- Republican nerve center.

Alter of Freedom takes note of McCain's opening of offices in Richmond and Fairfax here.

Following this event, I attended the summer kickoff event featuring Bill Bolling, hosted by the Richmond GOP.

Initially I was afraid I would be late, as traffic was heavy, but thankfully I got there in time. The event actually started a bit late, so I was able to take a few pictures:

Me (l) with VCU alumnus and photographer extraordinaire Charles M. Kelley (r). Charles is tickled pink that he has his own office, which is through the door on the right; Charles is working for the Bob McDonnell for Governor organization, which is now housed in the same building as the McCain organization. Congratulations, Charles!

Below: GOP operative Richard Crouse can hardly contain his excitement!

Right before the speeches officially began, I had the pleasure of briefly conversing with VCU student Lee Vogler, who I blogged about on June 23. We couldn't talk long, since the speeches began in the midst of our conversation.

First, a Vietnam veteran who knows John McCain personally got the party started when he testified to McCain's character that he observed in combat.

From left to right: Bob McDonnell, Roxane Gilmore, Jeff Frederick, Jerry Kilgore. At podium: Vietnam veteran.

Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick then spoke, and suggested that everyone in the crowd of 110 people identify 10 undecided voters, and encourage them to vote for John McCain and Jim Gilmore.

Frederick experienced a small slip of the tongue when he mentioned how important it is that Eric Cantor and Steve Forbes are re-elected to Congress. Of course, he was referring to Randy Forbes, whose Congressional district includes much of Chesterfield County. Supporters of Steve Forbes' 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns must have been pleased to hear Frederick's exhortation to the party faithful, however.

Former first lady of Virginia Roxane Gilmore then spoke in place of her husband and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore, who was not able to attend this function. Mrs. Gilmore criticized the naysayers who seem to be prematurely writing off this election.

Then former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore spoke on behalf of John McCain; Kilgore is a Virginia co-chair for McCain. Kilgore stressed the need for greater American energy independence, and assailed Obama's reluctance to explore for more oil and natural gas here in our own country. Kilgore said that on the subject of high energy prices, Barack Obama's attitude is, "just get used to it."

Perhaps Bill Bolling had the best laugh of the evening -- noting that the room was unusually stuffy and hot due to the A/C not being on (which was somewhat abated by several fans), Bolling asked, "This is a rather ridiculous question, but -- are you fired up?!"

Bob McDonnell rounded out the speakers and addressed a slew of issues. On energy, McDonnell remarked, "We need to drill here. We need to drill now - so we can pay less at the pump!"

A common theme that all six speakers stressed was Obama and Mark Warner are too liberal, and that McCain and Gilmore both have solid experience, whereas Obama and Warner should be perceived as too "risky."

Delegate Jimmie Massie (l) talks to someone following the event

Happy people milling about afterwards, trying to not be too uncomfortable by the noticeable lack of air conditioning

July 2008 Tuesday Morning Group Coalition Meeting Wrap-up

2008-07-08T14:48:00.006-04:00

This morning I attended the July coalition meeting of the Tuesday Morning Group, a project of host John Taylor's Virginia-centric Tertium Quids, a dynamic free-market public interest organization that seeks to enact a variety of meaningful, limited government reforms in Virginia.

Here's a rough synopsis of what took place:

First, John Taylor observed that because of a variety of factors, attendance at this month's coalition meeting would not be as high as usual -- indeed, only about 40 souls crowded into a meeting room in the Bull and Bear Club in downtown Richmond. Taylor took note that blogger Jim Bowden -- who was scheduled to speak to the coalition on why HB 6055 is bad -- was unable to join us due to a family emergency, but has agreed to present to the coalition at a future date. Presumably Morton Blackwell was planning to attend, but he had to go to the memorial service of former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, who died last week. Finally, Taylor took note that some regulars are on vacation. Taylor exclaimed:

We're going to have to cancel all vacations until the revolution's over!

Secondly, Taylor reported that when he spoke with newly minted Republican Party of Virginia chairman Jeff Frederick, Frederick said that he did not anticipate that Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw's bill to increase the gas tax would be supported. Taylor then assailed HB 6055, describing it as "3202 - part deux" -- a reference to last year's unpopular HB 3202, parts of which were unanimously declared unconstitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court. According to Taylor, HB 3202 allowed regional transportation authorities to levy taxes, whereas HB 6055 would allow municipalities to increase taxes. Taylor finished by referring to Republicans who support tax increases as "weak sisters."

Then Taylor turned it over to Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. Pratt applauded the U.S. Supreme Court in the recent D.C. vs. Heller, which ruled that Washington D.C.'s ban on handguns violated the Second Amendment. Pratt predicts that those living in cities will benefit the most from the court's decision (since this seems to be where gun control is the strictest) and that the goal now is to get rid of licensing requirements -- in many jurisdictions, residents must obtain a license from their local government just to own a gun in their own home and that the local bureaucrats can capriciously deny requests.

Next, Norm Leahy trumpeted TQ's two new podcasts and announced that in a matter of weeks, Tertium Quids will be starting a weekly online radio show and that John Taylor has been selected to screen calls. (!)

Brian Gottstein of Tertium Quids said that the podcasts are frank, and provide useful information that you won't hear anywhere else.

Krystal Slivinksi rounded out the TQ bunch by giving a briefing on budget transparency in Virginia. She said that she has been meeting with legislators and that several Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed interest in pushing for greater budget transparency.

Delegate Sam Nixon predicted that the General Assembly's special session will end on July 9.

Finally, Keith Fimian gave an overview of his candidacy for the congressional seat being vacated by Tom Davis in Northern Virginia and told us what he's all about. I was very impressed by his maturity, public speaking skills, and clarity of thought. Fimian spoke passionately about his business background, economic views, and desire for energy independence. I think he'd make a fantastic Congressman!

The August meeting of the coalition is scheduled for August 12.